Friday, March 20th, 2015

Ray Q & A: Installing or Moving Gas Lines

Gas lines can be tricky 🙁 If you have the smallest question – Call Ray.

Dear Ray,
I recently bought a vintage home that is connected to city gas. The kitchen is all-electric; I’d like to switch out the electric range for gas – it’s less expensive, provides better cooking control as well as a more even distribution of heat. Is it hard to run an extension from my existing gas lines over to the kitchen area?

Ray: There are few things more exciting than installing new appliances. FWIW, it’s not hard or overly expensive to extend a pre-existing gas line to another part of the house. From our perspective, it’s a length of copper gas line (which is similar to a copper water line, but smaller in diameter), some fittings and soldering, running the new line through a wall or floor, making the connection to the new range and testing for leaks. Usually, this type of gas line work is a one-man job that takes 2-4 hours.

Dear Ray,
My sister has had the same a gas-run clothes dryer for over 20 years. I’m on my 2nd electric dryer in the same amount of time. My monthly electric is astronomical. Would it be worthwhile to replace my electric dryer with gas, and can the plumber make sure the new dryer is right next to my clothes washer? Currently, my dryer is 10 feet away from the washer (we have an 1920’s house with poorly designed laundry area in our unfinished).

Ray: You’ve noted something that’s a big plus: “unfinished basement”. Updating an old basement laundry area to suit modern appliances, lifestyles, and utility/usability designs is a value-added project for your home. Exposed piping and rafters make it much easier to efficiently install new gas lines and reduces our time on the job (a savings for you). Gas clothes dryers may be a little more costly up-front, but over time, you will see a savings in your monthly utility bill and in the longevity of the appliance – there is no electric heating element to go bad.

As with the question about changing an electric stove for a gas model, hooking up gas dryers is a fairly straightforward job, providing your home has an existing connection to city gas.

Water You Waiting For? If you’ve made the decision to bring more gas into your home or business, Allied Reddi-Rooter can help install the lines, fittings, and connections. Call  or contact  Ray today for a free estimate and check out our coupons for savings on labor. 513-396-5300.  We always come highly recommended and have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for our expert quality of service